


Mixing Business And Pleasure

by DigitalThespian



Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Getting Together, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:34:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29316417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DigitalThespian/pseuds/DigitalThespian
Summary: Makoto is determined to figure out who the Phantom Thieves are.Akira is trying to keep that from happening through a variety of carefully (and not-so-carefully) planned gambits, with varying degrees of success.There is no conceivable way this could lead to either hijinksorshenanigans, I assure you.(…I'm definitely lying.)
Relationships: Niijima Makoto/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 2
Kudos: 49





	Mixing Business And Pleasure

**Author's Note:**

> Have some silliness that my brain spit out while (finally) playing through Royal.

“I’ve noticed you hanging out awfully frequently…” Makoto tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I wonder what that’s all about,” she mused, though there was a distinct undercurrent of smugness to her tone.

Akira shrugged. “I have a thing for blondes.”

Makoto started, taking a half-step back. “I beg your pardon?”

“I don’t exactly have any friends here, I’m a transfer. I ran into both Ann and Ryuji on the way to school on my first day. They didn’t make the connection between me and the rumors at first, so I got to make a decent first impression.” He laughed quietly. “And because I know you’ll ask, I kept hanging around Ann because I sit behind her, and Ryuji because he’s like a puppy. A really _cute_ puppy. He gets heated about stuff, sure, but he’s just so… _earnest_. I don’t have to guess with him. Plus he’s not afraid of my reputation. Hell, they’re _both_ really cute.”

“I-I see.” Makoto shifted, clearly unsure where to take the conversation now that she’d been presented with a semi-reasonable explanation she couldn’t prove or disprove. Finally, she squared her shoulders. “While that may be a valid explanation, it doesn’t have to be the only explanation.”

Akira sighed internally. _Dammit. Worth a try._ “Believe what you will, I suppose. I really don’t know what to tell you though.”

* * *

Ann burst out laughing. “Oh my god, you told her you have the hots for _both_ of us?”

Ryuji made a face. “I have mixed feelings about this,” he groaned. “Like, I’m flattered I’m apparently good-looking enough for her to believe it, but…”

“Uh… I actually said it was because you’re earnest, like a really cute puppy.” Akira rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

“ _Dude_ ,” Ryuji protested.

“Sorry. It’s not personal, I just knew it’s not the sort of thing she’d expect me to call you, which makes it more believable.”

Ryuji sighed. “Fiiine…”

“I need to go talk to Mishima, though; if she gets to him first that could be trouble.”

“What are you gonna say?”

“Well…”

* * *

“You want me to _what_?!” Yuuki hissed.

“You heard right; I want you to tell her you think it’s us.”

“I can’t do that! How can you ask me to sell you out—”

Akira cut him off. “Selling us out? As what? I support your passion and all, but like…” he shrugged before continuing, “besides, whether you think it’s us or not, how could you prove it? Moreover, if you _knew_ it was us, you would never _tell_ her, since you run the Phan-Site. Saying you think it’s us can only muddy the waters for the real Phantom Thieves, since it puts your assessment in the same boat as all the other people in school who’re just speculating.”

Understanding dawned on Yuuki, and he nodded. “…got it. Since I’m so passionate about them, casually providing my theory shows I’m either not confident in it, or don’t think it’s a big deal.”

“That, and it shows that you’re not _actually_ affiliated; it also sort of implies you’re a fanboy rather than someone seriously invested in keeping their identities safe, but… that in itself is sort of a good thing, since it makes you less likely to be investigated. Long as they can see the Site and get what they need, right?”

Yuuki wasn’t too pleased with the idea, Akira could tell. “…Alright, I guess that makes sense… I just… I don’t want to _just_ be a fanboy, you know?”

“I know; that’s why I’m asking you to do this. People may not _know_ you’re doing it, but this is how you _really_ support a group like that. Keep everything as ambiguous as you can; in your case, by being loudly and unapologetically excited about them, thereby eliminating the possibility of you being questioned, or the Phan-Site getting more than a cursory investigation. You’re like… a secret agent.”

Yuuki nodded sharply. “I won’t let you down!”

“Hey, don’t worry about me; I’m just another fanboy.”

“R-Right.”

* * *

“So, Mishima-kun,” Makoto began.

“H-Huh? Oh, hey Nijima-senpai.” Yuuki shifted somewhat uncomfortably. “Can I help you…? You don’t usually talk to me like this…”

“I heard you were a big fan of these so-called Phantom Thieves, and I wanted to know more.” Her gaze seemed to pierce straight through him, and Yuuki finally fully understood why Akira had said what he did; lying to this girl would have been _impossible_.

He steeled his nerves, reminding himself that he wasn’t selling out the Phantom Thieves; he was _protecting_ them. “Oh, yeah! I even run a site where people can talk about them!”

She blinked. “You… do? Wait, that forum? The… Phan—”

“Phantom Aficionado Website!” He exclaimed. “Sure, some people may think they’re in the wrong, but… if they hadn’t changed Kamoshida’s heart I would have been in _big_ trouble…”

“So you think they really did change Kamoshida-sensei?”

“Please don’t call him that,” Yuuki shivered, “that man was a _monster_ … You saw how beat up I was. He even coerced me into leaking Kurusu-kun’s criminal record… He doesn’t deserve to be called ‘sensei’.”

Makoto winced. “I—you’re right, I… apologize.” She tucked a lock of hair behind an ear again, composing herself. “But anyway… do you have any theories as to who they might be? Surely someone as invested as you has done their research.”

She was clearly trying to butter him up, but fortunately for her, he was going to tell her anyway. “Oh, yeah, totally! I’m pretty sure it’s Kurusu-kun, Sakamoto-kun, and Takamaki-san; who _else_ could it be? I mean, I guess they could be totally unrelated, since they weren’t the only victims, but…”

Makoto stared a moment, mouth hanging open slightly. “I—Didn’t expect you to be so excited to share,” she admitted.

“Why not?” He furrowed his brow. “They’re super cool, and they did something good, right?”

“…Right,” she said, not at all convincingly. “I won’t take any more of your time; thank you, Mishima-kun.”

“Oh, okay! See you later, Nijima-senpai!”

* * *

Makoto sat in the courtyard, thinking to herself.

_If Mishima-kun was so forthcoming… that means if he’s right, he doesn’t talk to them about it, otherwise they would have told him to keep quiet…_

She paused, a thoughtful expression crossing her face.

_Actually… what if they **told** him to tell me? That would be a gamble, and it would only make sense if they were particularly cunning… which only leaves Kurusu-kun, since Sakamoto-kun and Takamaki-san definitely aren’t…_

She stood, nodding to herself.

… _Time to see just how clever Kurusu-kun really is._

* * *

“You… want to play chess,” Akira said slowly.

“Yes. I wanted to apologize for interrogating you like that, and also get to know you better.”

… _She’s trying to figure out if I’m the type to have Mishima out us like that as a bluff._

“Sure, I guess? You sure your reputation can take being seen with the criminal transfer student?”

Makoto winced. “…I admit, I was going to ask that we play somewhere that isn’t at school.”

He laughed. “I respect that you’re honest about it. Sure, I can deal with that.”

He didn’t win a single game.

* * *

“You’ve been laying low more than usual,” Makoto began with no preamble, and Akira snorted internally.

_Likely trying to surprise me and catch my reaction; as though I’m not hyper-aware of my surroundings from being the ‘delinquent transfer student’, and from Palaces._

Outwardly, he simply tilted his head. “I’m… acting the same as always? Sure, I had some arguments with Kamoshida, but he definitely started those; this is how I am the rest of the time.”

“Is that so? Well, pardon me, then. I do hope the real culprit comes forward soon; it’s ridiculous to think I could do the police’s job. Honestly, he should have considered _my_ feelings before asking me to do this.”

“‘He’?” Akira asked, turning fully towards her.

“Oh—er…” She didn’t make eye contact, and Akira began to worry, just a bit.

“Is someone harassing you?” He tilted his head forwards ever so slightly, giving her a serious look. “You’re not in any trouble, right…? I know you’re not one to be pushed around, or intimidated—I mean, you’re willing to get all up in my business about things, despite my reputation—but you seem… troubled.”

“I-I—I-It’s nothing, really. Just… stress.”

He nodded. “Alright. Just… let me know, okay? You know how to find me, obviously, but if we need to put our game on hold one week so you can get something off your chest, that’s fine. I’m happy to listen.”

* * *

Akira continued to get _trashed_ at chess, and he didn’t even have to pretend; Makoto was totally out of his league. “…I’m starting to get the feeling I’m not very good at chess.”

She giggled, covering her mouth with a hand. “I would think you would have noticed after the first few times. Why did you agree to keep playing if you knew you didn’t know how to play very well?”

“You never said you wanted to play me for a _challenge_ ,” he shot back, “just that you wanted to get to know me.” He smirked. “Which now that I think about it, seems an awful lot like a date, Nijima-senpai,” he teased.

“W-What?! That’s ridiculous, I d-didn’t—” She cut off, blushing furiously.

…Holy shit, did Makoto _actually_ have a crush on him…?

“Sorry, sorry. I couldn’t help it; I’ve been getting my butt kicked for _weeks_. I saw a chance to make the score one to however many it is you have now, and I couldn’t resist.”

“R-Right.” She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, which said volumes; she’d gotten to know him, yes, but he’d also learned most of _her_ tells by now as well. She always did that when she was attempting to assert or maintain control of the situation in her mind. Sometimes it was genuine confidence, sometimes it was fake-it-til-you-make-it confidence, but it was usually there. “…Kurusu-kun, may I ask you a personal question?”

“Uh… I reserve the right to not answer, depending, but okay?”

“What… why did you get arrested? I know what the rumors say, that you assaulted a man, but…” She trailed off for a few moments. “…you really don’t seem like the type. You’re bitter about injustice, almost _vehemently_ so… so why would you commit an injustice like that yourself…? It doesn’t make _sense_ …”

He snorted. “Yeah, it doesn’t. Truth is, the guy was a big-shot politician or something. Drunk off his ass, trying to bully a woman into getting into his car. I…” His hands tightened into fists. “…I still don’t know if I even saved her. After I got dragged off in cuffs… it keeps me up at night sometimes, wondering… despite me practically ruining my own life… if she got raped anyway.”

Makoto covered her mouth with a hand. “Kurusu-kun…”

“What… what if I did that for _nothing_ …?” Akira grit his teeth. “I… I think that’s why I ended up on Kamoshida’s bad side. I took one look at that _bastard_ and I could _tell_ , I could _see_ it in his eyes, the way he looked at the girls in the halls…” He let out a humorless laugh. “…And we all know that I have a _great_ track record with minding my own business. I didn’t even have to say anything; I think he took one look at me, and we could both see the writing on the wall. He knew I wasn’t fooled.”

“I… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up such a painful subject…”

He gave her a solemn look. “Do you believe me?”

She started slightly. “W-What?”

“Do you believe that I did what I did to try and save that woman?”

“I… do, yes.” She nodded slowly.

Akira sat back, nodding once. “Then I have no problem with you asking. You’d be surprised how many people refuse to believe it. Or maybe you wouldn’t be, I dunno. You’re student council president, you’ve probably seen some shit.”

She couldn’t hold back a laugh. “Yes, I suppose I have ‘seen some shit’.”

Akira’s brows went up. “Did I just hear Makoto Nijima _curse_?” He teased.

She looked defiantly back at him, a hint of a smile on her face. “Maybe you did. Maybe I’ve got a rebellious side; you never know.”

“Good thing I seem to have an affinity for people like that, huh?”

She blinked. “I… guess you do.” She blushed slightly. “Do you… consider us… friends…?”

He shrugged. “I was letting you conduct that train. You were kinda investigating me there for a while, so I figured if that was going to happen it would be on your end.”

“I… think I’d like that.” She took out her phone. “Would you mind sharing contact info?”

He smiled, pulling out his phone. “Sure thing.” The smile turned to a smirk. “Does this mean I can take you on a date?”

She blushed much brighter, taking a slight breath. “…I’ll think about it.” She stood abruptly, not making eye contact. “I should probably get going, see you next time, goodbye!” She sped away, leaving a stunned Akira in her wake.

…Holy shit, did Makoto just _not shoot him down_?

* * *

“Wait, you’re trying to _date_ the prez now?!”

“She’s nice! And cute! And smarter than I am! Do you have _any_ idea how many people I’ve met who are _smarter than I am_?!” Akira leaned in, brows raised incredulously.

“Uh… like… ten?” Ryuji hazarded.

Akira held up one finger sharply. “ _One_ , and it’s her!” He paused, before amending, “…admittedly my hometown isn’t particularly _erudite_ , but _still_!”

Ann regarded him thoughtfully. “I think this is the most animated I’ve _ever_ seen you.”

“Yeah, dude, you’re real worked up about this.”

“…Maybe so.” Akira shrugged, finally sitting back in his chair. “I just like her. Sue me.”

“…So it _was_ you.”

The group started as Makoto herself rounded the corner, face red. Ryuji scowled. “What the hell?! We didn’t do nothin’!”

Makoto looked at Akira. “…You said I’m smarter than you, but that it’s incredibly uncommon… which means I was right. You told Mishima-kun to say it was you to throw me off.” She looked at the three of them in turn. “You really _are_ the Phantom Thieves.”

“Whaaat, no way, that’s, ridiculous,” Ann said, convincing absolutely no one.

“…Kurusu?” His brows went up at the lack of honorific. “…meet me at the Central Street theater at seven.” She blushed darker. “…you’re buying the popcorn.” She turned on her heel and walked away, leaving the dumbfounded trio behind her.

Finally Ryuji broke the stunned silence. “FOR REAL?! Did you just get a date after she accused us of being the Phantom Thieves?!”

“…Does that mean she supports us…?” Ann wondered aloud.

Akira slowly smiled. “…want me to ask?”

“No way!” Morgana popped out of his bag. “We have to maintain deniability!”

“Morgana, I can’t out-play her. You _know_ that.”

He pouted. “I still don’t like it.”

“I mean… if she’s willing to ask you on a date, I think it should be fine, right…?” Ryuji asked.

Ann nodded. “I think so…?”

* * *

Akira stood outside the theater, popcorn in hand, and spotted Makoto walking his way. He waved, and she waved back with a smile that made his heart flutter. She stopped in front of him, hands clasped behind her shyly. “…Hey.”

“Hey.” He held up the oversize cardboard box. “I got the largest size because it’s way cheaper than two small ones.”

She blushed slightly, giggling. “Plus… this is a date, right…? I feel like sharing is part of the experience.”

He was _so_ screwed. She was too cute.

He smiled. “I agree, but I didn’t want to make it weird.” He gestured inside, and they began walking. “What did you want to see, anyway?”

She halted awkwardly. “Er—well, um… you said you liked girls who had a rebellious side, so… I usually don’t tell people this, but I actually really like Yakuza films…”

He could feel his face burning. The uncharacteristic bashfulness was absolutely _precious_ , and the fact that she liked Yakuza films chased away the last of his doubts about whether she was his type. She was brilliant, and also a badass, and she wasn’t one to shy away from that.

He swallowed. “…Yakuza film it is.”

“Y-You don’t have to, it’s okay if that’s off-putting, I know girls aren’t really supposed to—”

“But you’re a rebel, so you like them anyway, right?” He smiled ever so slightly. “I was being diplomatic when I said I had an affinity for rebellious people; it was a bit of an understatement.”

“O-Oh yeah…?” She blushed. “…what did you actually mean…?”

“The conviction to stand by what you like and what you believe in is _hot_.”

Her eyes slowly widened, and she turned the color of the carpet leading to the theaters. Finally she grabbed his hand, clearly forcing herself not to look away. “…I’m not kissing you in the back of the theater; I want to actually see the movie.”

He laughed. “I wasn’t going to try anything funny, don’t worry.”

“No, you’re going to kiss me at the end of our first date, because dammit, I want to have a cute first date experience and you’re _going_ to make that happen,” she insisted.

He stared at her for a few long moments, and she began to worry. “Um… sorry, was that—”

“Where have you _been_ all my life…?” He blurted.

She let out a squeak. “Oh! Um! Here…?”

Akira threw his head back and laughed, and the tension dissolved. “I guess that’s fair. I can at least thank that bastard who got me arrested for giving me the chance to meet you, then, if I ever see him again.”

“…If I run into ‘that bastard’ I’ll kick his ass _myself_ ,” Makoto grumbled, then froze. “Uh…”

“…I would legitimately pay to see that.” Akira and Makoto stared at each other for a moment before he coughed, finally looking away. “Sorry, that wasn’t appropriate, was it?” They began to walk to the theater.

“Not really, but… I don’t think I mind.” She drifted a little closer. “…After all, it’s not really ‘appropriate’ for the sister of a public prosecutor to be dating the leader of the Phantom Thieves, either…”

He started, head whipping around. “Your sister is a public prosecutor?!”

Now it was Makoto’s turn to laugh. “What, having second thoughts?” She teased, then immediately sobered. “You’re… not, right…?”

He held her hand tighter, smiling gently. “None at all.”

“I’m glad to hear that…” she said, obviously relieved. “Sorry, that’s been weighing on me a bit…”

“No need to worry; I think it’s safe to say I’m interested enough to make it work anyway.” He grinned, shooting her a glance. “And who knows… maybe you could help us find people the law can’t get to.”

She was quiet for a moment. “…you know, it’s funny you should say that… I actually already have someone in mind.”

“Oh yeah? We’ll have to talk it out after the movie; maybe over coffee?” He winked.

“Mixing business with pleasure now, are we?” She raised a brow, a hint of a smile playing about her face.

“You know me,” he shrugged, “and besides, I enjoy my work.”

“What does that have to do with it…?” Makoto tilted her head curiously.

Akira shot her a sly grin. “Business _is_ a pleasure.”

**Author's Note:**

> (I keep forgetting Morgana exists when writing fics for Persona 5; I swear I like him, he's just never in my party and he's usually hidden in your bag.)


End file.
